D.C. Council member and Judiciary Chair Kenyan R. McDuffie (D-Ward 5) introduced the NEAR Act. (Courtesy Photo)
A crime prevention bill aims to shift the scope of dealing with crime in the city from enforcing harsher punishments to addressing crime as a public health crisis. Supporters of the bill said it is an innovative, data driven approach to public safety by not only addressing crime after it occurs, but also working to prevent crime by treating its root causes, such as mental illness, substance abuse and homelessness in a long-term, sustainable way.
The “Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Amendment Act of 2016” (NEAR Act), created by D.C. Council member and Judiciary Chair Kenyan R. McDuffie (D-Ward 5) unanimously passed through the council, for a second time, March 1. The bill is currently on its way to the mayor’s office.
“We know that those impacted by mental health disorders, and substance abuse are often in regular contact with the police due to unmet healthcare and housing needs,” said McDuffie in a statement. “Implementing the NEAR Act means effective and sustainable crime prevention for District residents.”
The NEAR Act established two offices that supporters hope will mitigate crime; the Office of Violence Prevention and Health Equity (OVPHE) and the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE).
The act will attempt to address the intersection of mental health disorders, substance abuse, and crime. It will also develop a Community Crime Prevention Team Program that will pair mental health clinicians and housing outreach specialists from the Department of Behavioral Health and Human Services with police officers to identify persons in need and to connect them with comprehensive services.
“One homicide in the District is one too many. We know that we cannot simply arrest our way out of crime; prevention is the key. This comprehensive bill is a step in the right direction,” McDuffie said. As of March 9, there have been 20 homicides, 51 sex abuse arrests, 367 persons charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and 594 robberies so far this year. Total violent crime in D.C. has risen by 24 percent.
The NEAR Act also requires the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to provide yearly training on preventing biased-based profiling, community policing, and use of force education and training. Additionally, the MPD is required to collect stop and frisk and use of force data in an effort to promote transparency and improve the relationship between police and the community.
“I believe in evidence-based approaches and will monitor and review the effectiveness of each of these initiatives to ensure that District residents’ tax dollars are being spent in an efficient and effective manner,” McDuffie said.
The NEAR Act is different from a 2015 anticrime bill presented by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) that would have enforced harsher penalties on offenders. A spokesperson from the mayor’s office told the {Washington Post}, in January, that the NEAR Act does not adequately provide solutions to combat crime.
However, others, hopeful of the bill’s potential, said legislation alone will not reduce crime in the city.
“This is what I believe about any legislative action that we have that they have the potential to be successful and to provide additional resources, which is the intent of the NEAR Act; from security cameras to other measures but it can’t do it alone,” Council member LaRuby May (D-Ward 8) said. “In order for us to have safer communities and public safety, it won’t happen through legislative action, it has to happen with the efforts and action through the MPD, and efforts and action from the people in our community.”